


Ah! Leah

by Appabeifong



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Drug Withdrawal, Eventual Romance, F/M, Personal Growth, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Soul-Searching
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-04-15
Packaged: 2018-03-13 04:27:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3367832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Appabeifong/pseuds/Appabeifong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From darkness to light, from despair to hope, from reality to fantasy, and from chance to fate. Help can sometimes come from the most unlikely places. For Leah, that place was the world of Supernatural.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! I just started this story and I'm pretty excited about it. Just as a warning to those with sensitive stomachs, there is some mention of throwing up in this chapter. I know, right? What better way to start off a story than with some puking. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 1**

Most of Leah's waking hours were spent imagining she was somewhere else. Even as a child she had always dreamed of venturing into her favorite books, movies, and TV shows. These mythical, fantastical, and adventure-filled worlds made her feel like she belonged; a feeling that was quite rare in her waking life. She spent a great deal of her childhood glued to the TV, as her parents and grandparents showed her new worlds to explore. Leah did have  _real_  friends as a child; though it was sometimes hard for her to make friends, considering how quiet and reserved she could be.

Then Leah met Elizabeth and Christine, who loved their fantasy worlds as much as Leah loved hers. Liz and Chris became the sisters Leah never had. They even grew to think of each other's siblings as their own brothers and sisters. Even their parents became part of this misfit family. From 12 to 23 these girls were 'The Three Musketeers' (a name affectionately given to them by their parents). They grew together from awkward, pimple-faced 12 year-old's, to confident, ambitious young women. But not Leah. It seemed Leah was destined for great hardship, and would spend years trying to cope with the loss of her mother.  
She would watch Liz and Chris move forward with their lives while she sat frozen, in silence, trying desperately to shut out the pain she felt. She usually hid it very well, which somehow made her even more sad. Couldn't anyone see that she was suffering? Did anyone even care? But sometimes there would be days when Leah would forget about her pain and her loss; days that she blissfully felt nothing at all. She could, if only for a moment, forget about what she witnessed. On those days, she could just be happy.

* * *

It was January 29th, Christine's birthday. Today was one of the few days a year that Leah, Liz, and Chris could be together again and Leah tried to cherish every moment. Though, she couldn't help the feelings of jealousy that quietly crept into her heart.  
Chris was always the most ambitious of the 3 and was doing very well for herself. She had a show on the radio and was well known for her video game reviews. She was an avid cosplayer, had lots of friends, and was very beautiful. Leah hated herself for being so jealous of Chris, but she seemed to have everything while Leah had nothing.

As the night went on, Leah felt more and more detached from her friends and the festivities. She desperately wanted to go home and escape into her own world, with the help of some narcotics of course. She eyed her purse as conversation and laughter buzzed around her. She thought about resisting for a moment, but she found herself lonely in a crowded room; the worst kind of loneliness, in Leah's opinion. So she took hold of her purse that rested beside her and made her way to the bathroom. When she got up, Liz asked, "Could you grab me a can of coke when you come back, please?" The drawn out 'ease' filtered through Liz's teeth as she forced her grin wider, while the feigned innocence twinkled in her eyes.  
"Yeah, sure," Leah called over her shoulder. Liz's faint 'thank you' echoed in the TV room as Leah turned the corner and walked down the hall to the bathroom. Leah stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

She silently shuffled over to the sink and turned the tap on. As she waited for it to get cold, she opened her purse and unzipped one of the small pockets inside. Leah pulled out 3 pills, one 15 milligrams of morphine (which resembled a birth control pill), and two Tylenol 3's.  
"Two for now, one for later," she mumbled to herself as she threw all 3 into her mouth. The Tylenol was fast acting and would give her a good, happy buzz in about 20 minutes. These would keep her going until the morphine kicked in. The morphine was a slow release and usually took about an hour to take effect. But once it did it would last her the rest of the night.  
She cupped her hands under the faucet and brought it to her lips. As she let the water spill into her mouth, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She turned the faucet off and gazed at her reflection for a moment. Leah felt too much at once and she had to make it stop. Sadness, anger, regret, contempt, loneliness, and fear. Leah was covered in darkness and the green and white pills were her only way into the light. At least, that's what she told herself when she swallowed them.

Leah was usually very good at not mixing alcohol (or too much alcohol) with the pills, but tonight was different. Once the morphine kicked in, she already had a few beers in her system. Drinking games were played and shots were consumed as the night went on, and Leah was having fun. It wasn't until her vision started to blur that she realized that something was wrong. She suddenly dropped her pool cue and felt her legs give out. She was fighting hard to stay conscious, but her eyes were extremely heavy. She remembered seeing Chris and Liz's frightened faces and their hands reaching out to her, but she couldn't feel their skin on hers. She tried to keep her eyes open like they told her to, but eventually they forced themselves closed.

For a moment Leah floated through nothingness. It was like having a dreamless sleep; though, this felt a thousand times deeper, and strangely empty. When she woke, Leah, who was expecting to see the faces of her family and friends, instead saw the faces of two men. Two men that she knew a great deal about, but had never met before. She opened her mouth to speak, but vomit came out instead. She quickly turned to the side and emptied her stomach onto the slightly damp asphalt.

"Aahh, gross," Dean exclaimed as he took a step back.  
"Do you guys have any kleenex?" Leah asked softly before spitting out the saliva that gathered in her mouth. Dean silently retrieved a roll of toilet paper from the car and tossed it over to Sam, who handed it to Leah. Leah blew her nose a few times and wiped her watery eyes, before turning back to face them.  
"Are you alright?" Sam asked as she turned back around. No response came and Leah just stared up at them with eyes as wide as saucers. When she didn't answer, Sam opened his mouth to speak again. Leah watched intently as she waited for more words to tumble out of his mouth. As if it might be the proof she needed to know for certain that this was real.  
"What's your name?" he asked softly.  
"Leah," she replied instinctively.  
"Nice to meet you Leah, I'm Sam, and this is my brother, Dean."

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Chapter 2 is on the way, so stay tuned ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

  
Leah climbed back into consciousness from a dream that she deemed no stranger than normal. Her dreams were often filled with vivid images of impossible creatures or her favorite characters. Once she even dreamt of a black jaguar, whose spots glowed and faded into different colours like Christmas lights.   
As sunlight from the waking world picked at her eyelids, she noticed a slight moldy smell. This smell didn’t belong in Chris’ house; neither did the dry, itchy blankets she laid upon. Leah wiped the crust from the corners of her eyes and slowly opened them as a wave of nausea washed over her. What she saw was not Chris’ guest room. What she saw was a dingy motel room.

Leah pushed herself upward, her eyes darting around the room as her heart started to pound in her ears. Leah ripped off the blankets and darted out of bed. Her brain quickly took in her surroundings as panic and adrenalin took over. She stood between two beds, her back facing the wall where the headboards rested. To her left was a small ‘kitchen’ area with a table for two, a microwave, and a tiny fridge. Adjacent to the tiny kitchen was a door that no doubt hid the bathroom, and to her right was the front door.  
Leah quickly made her way over to it, twisted the knob and pulled. It was locked. Leah released the knob and hastily flicked down the deadbolt thumb-turn. The door opened just a crack before Leah once again met resistance. Her eyes flicked up and she saw the chain lock.   
“Aww come on!” she cursed under her breath. Leah closed the door again and reached for the chain. Her hands trembled as more adrenaline coursed through her veins. When it came free a short splash of relief hit her and she finally tore the door open.

Before Leah could take a step out the door, she came face-to-face (well, face-to-chest) with the last person she ever expected to see.  
“Hey! Linda’s awake!” he greeted with a chuckle, enjoying his own joke. Leah just stood, frozen in place, and stared at him with wide eyes.  
“Planning on going somewhere?” he asked, lifting his left brow. Leah continued to stare up at him, opening and closing her mouth as she tried to speak. He tilted his head down slightly and raised both eyebrows as he awaited her reply.  
“W-what…what is happening?” she stuttered, just above a whisper.  
“We were hoping you could tell us.” A voice sounded behind her, making her jump in surprise as she whipped her head around.

There stood (who she believed to be) Jared Padalecki, and outside the door stood (who she believed to be) Jensen Ackles. But neither were who she thought they were. They were in fact, Sam and Dean Winchester. They were two characters in her favorite TV show. They were characters that would save her life.

“I don’t know what you mean,” she said in earnest as a small, single tear rolled down her cheek.  
“Hey! Before we start a game of 20 questions, do you think I could come in? The food’s getting cold,” Dean said as he held up the brown paper bag and shook it back and forth. Leah released the door frame and stepped aside as he brushed past her.  

The panic Leah felt subsided slightly (now that she knew death wasn’t imminent) and her nausea returned in short, dull waves. Placing a hand on her stomach, Leah walked over to the bed next to the door and sat down. She inhaled slowly and deeply, trying to calm her turning stomach and racing heart. Questions began swimming around in her head, fueling the fire of fear and making her nausea worse. Leah felt the urge to cry come over her as she wondered where she was, what happened to her, and why Jared and Jensen were staying in this crappy motel.   
“Do you remember anything from last night?” Sam asked as he sat on the edge of the other bed. Leah lifted her eyes from the grey rug (one she suspected started out a different colour) and looked over at Sam.  
“I was at my friend’s birthday party and I passed out,” Leah began, her eyes following Dean for a moment as he returned from the ‘kitchen’ with a cheeseburger in one hand, and a soda in the other. Leah’s confusion started to build as she watched him shove almost half the burger in his mouth and take a greedy bite.     
“Then I woke up here,” she said as she continued to watch Dean.  
“So you don’t remember us finding you on the side of the road?” Sam asked with sympathetic eyes. Leah’s eyebrows pulled together at his question as she thought back to the dream she had. _‘They couldn’t possibly be…’_  
“Did you honestly think she’d remember Sammy?”  
“It doesn’t hurt to ask Dean.”  
“Are you kidding me? I was one more gag-inducing, projectile vomiting away from summoning an old priest and a young priest!”

Leah’s eyes darted from one brother to the other as all the pieces fell into place. Her dream wasn’t a dream at all. She really had appeared on the side of the road, and Sam and Dean had really been there. A plethora of emotions hit her all at once and her brain and heart couldn’t seem to decide which one they wanted to feel first. So instead they defaulted to emptying her stomach. Leah’s hand smacked against her mouth as she jumped up and ran for the bathroom. She slammed the door shut, fell to her knees, and quickly gathered her hair behind her head before paying tribute to the porcelain God.

“You ok in there Linda?” she heard Dean call as she finished up and flushed the toilet. She could faintly hear Sam scolding him as she lifted herself off the tilled floor and went to the sink. Leah turned on the faucet and let it run till it was ice cold. She splashed water on her faced and swished some around in her mouth before spitting it out. Finally the taste had diminished and she turned the faucet off. Leah lifted her head out of the sink to look into the mirror so she could gage how horrible she looked. Then she could try to make herself somewhat presentable.   
When she saw her reflection she jumped in surprise, “What the fuck?”  
 She was thin!

After Leah lost her mother she slowly gained pound after pound as she sank deeper and deeper into depression. Leah had started at a healthy weight of 130 pounds, and one day found herself weighing 200. Leah held her weight well and never looked like she was 200 pounds (thanks to the hourglass figure she inherited from her grandmother) but she sure felt like it.

“Holly shit!” Leah whispered to herself in excitement as she inspected her body. Her slight double-chin was gone and her cheeks no longer hid the structure of her oval face.   
“Oh my God, my zits are gone too,” she breathed in astonishment as she leaned in closer to the mirror. Leah was past the adolescent zits faze (she was 23 after all) but she still often had hormonal under-skin pimples around her chin; which usually appear a week before her period. She still had a couple of small white heads, and some black heads dusted her nose, but the rest were gone.  
“Holly fucking shit! Wait…am I taller?”

Before Leah could investigate her height further, there was a knock at the bathroom door. She looked at the door through the mirror.   
“You ok in there Linda?” she heard Dean ask from the other side of the door.  
“Ya I’m fine,” she answered.   
“There’s some mouthwash in the mirror-cabinet,” Dean commented.  
“Okay, thanks.”

 Leah heard Dean walk off and she looked back at her reflection. A smile pulled at the corners of her mouth until it was a large toothy grin.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Leah walked out of the bathroom with her shoulders pulled back and her head parallel to the floor. Her muscles pulled and twitched from the unfamiliar posture, but Leah continued her confident stride. Her heart pounded in excitement and her smile grew wider as she approached them. She stopped in front of the two beds and placed her hands on her hips.  Sam and Dean opened their mouths to speak but Leah stopped them.  
“Before you say anything, let me get this straight…you’re Sam and Dean Winchester,” Leah said as she looked from one brother to the other. In an instant their faces changed from attentive to confused and suspicious.

“How did you know our last name was Winchester?” They said in unison. Leah’s hands clapped over her mouth as she let out a short, quick laugh of relief and excitement.  
“Leah, how do you know our last name?” Sam asked, suspicion floating in his eyes. Leah lifted her hands from her face and pressed her palms together before lowering them to rest on her clavicle.  
“This is impossible,” she breathed with a smile.  
“What’s impossible? Leah, just tell us what’s going on,” Sam asked, his curiosity picking at him.

Leah looked at Sam for a moment as he gently urged her to explain herself. Then her gaze flicked over to Dean, who looked like he didn’t trust her at all (and probably had a weapon ready). Leah let out a sigh and lowered her arms, her fingers tightly woven together. Leah considered her words carefully. She had so much she wanted to ask, so much she wanted to say…but all of that would have to wait. _  
_ “I don’t know how it happened, or if it even happened at all. I mean, I could be dreaming right now. Though, this would be the most vivid dream I’ve _ever_ experienced. So I could be in a coma…or dead.”  
“Just spit it out already,” Dean said impatiently. Leah snapped out of her nervous rambling and took in a breath as she looked from one brother to the other. She could tell by Sam’s hair that she was somewhere in season five, which meant that she not only got thrown into another universe, but she traveled back in time as well. And to make things even more unbelievable, her appearance had almost completely changed. Now that the initial shock and excitement was wearing off, Leah began to ponder these factors. The more she thought about it the more she believed that this was some elaborate hallucination or dream. For all she knew, she was in a coma from overdosing and this was all in her head.  
“Come on sweetheart, we ain’t got all day,” Dean groaned.  
On the other hand, it could be real, and Sam and Dean were her only hope of surviving and/or getting home. Either way, she didn’t have much to lose.  
“I’m from an alternate universe where your lives are a TV show,” she told them with a soft sigh. Sam’s eyebrows rose, intrigued at the concept. Dean, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and let out a soft chuckle.  
“Good job Sam! You didn’t just bring home a stray, you brought home a crazy stray,” he quipped, a sarcastic smile spread across his face. Dean lifted himself off the bed and walked past her to the trash in the kitchen and tossed in his empty soda cup.  
“Is it really that crazy? I mean, you’re lives are a series of books in this universe,” Leah returned as she folded her arms.  
“Oh god, you’ve read those things?” Dean groaned. Leah’s lip twitched into a smile at Dean’s obvious hatred for the books.  
“Wait, Dean. Even if she’d read the books, how would she know they were real? And how would she even know that we were the real Sam and Dean without us saying anything?” Sam offered as his doubt started to fade.  
“Maybe she’s another Becky, except ten times crazier,” Dean countered as he stepped toward them, stopping where the carpet of the bedroom met the linoleum of the kitchen.  
Sam cringed slightly at the memories that the subject of ‘Becky’ brought up, but quickly shook it off. “Dean, no one knows that stuff except for a hand full of people. Maybe Leah’s telling the truth.”  
“Yeah and one of those people, happens to be Chuck. He’s peeved that we forbade him from publishing more books, so he sent this chick to mess with our heads,” Dean argued.  
“Dean, that doesn’t make any sense! Chuck wouldn’t do that and you know it!” Sam pushed back, annoyance becoming evident in his voice.  
“Are you about to steal the colt from Crowley?” Leah asked with concern as she tried to put together when exactly she was. By the sound of it, they had just finished ‘The Real Ghostbusters’ episode. Which meant they were about to hunt the devil with a useless weapon, and loose two good friends for nothing.  
“How do you…” Dean began, but Leah continued rambling.  
“You guys don’t look terribly depressed so you couldn’t have gone after the devil yet; which means we can still save Jo and Ellen!” She finished with excitement, realizing that maybe now that Sam and Dean knew they might be able to save them. In that moment, another thought hit her, _“Castiel...”_  
But Leah wasn’t able to finish her thought because she was suddenly pinned against the wall. Dean’s left fore-arm pushed against Leah’s collar, while his right hand held a knife to her throat.  
“Dean! What the hell are you doing?” Sam exclaimed as he jumped off the bed and tried to pry his brother off.  
Dean stared down at her with furious eyes and Leah froze in fear. Sam could see Leah’s eyes glaze over. She wasn’t looking at them anymore, not really. Something was wrong.  
“Dean, stop! Look at her, something’s wrong!” Sam bellowed into his brother’s ear as he continued to try and pull him off.  
“It’s an act Sammy! She’s probably a demon trying to stop us from killing the devil!” Dean barked back as he shoved Sam off. Then, Leah started screaming. Her scream was loud and filled with terror. Dean’s grip on Leah loosened slightly as she continues to scream, surprised by the tinge of sadness he heard mixed in.  
“Dean, let her go!” a deep voice spoke from behind them. Sam and Dean turned their heads and saw Castiel. Dean hesitated for a moment but released her. As soon as she was free, Leah started to back away from them and continued to cry hysterically. Castiel quickly pushed past the brothers and walked over to Leah, who was now backed into a corner. Her crying had slowed but she still shivered and shook.  
“It’s alright, Leah. I’m not going to harm you,” Cas spoke gently as he slowed his approach. Castiel’s voice reached Leah’s ears and her eyes snapped up to meet his. He gazed thoughtfully into her eyes for a moment before raising his right hand, his middle and index fingers extended.  
“Just relax, everything will be alright,” he told her. Then he gently touched his fingers to her forehead. Leah’s wild, frightened eyes closed and she started to sink to the ground, her back still firmly pressed against the wall. Castiel casually reached forward and pulled her to him. He hooked his left arm around her back as she fell into him, and then he leaned down and scooped up her legs with his other arm. Cas carried the sleeping girl to one of the beds and gingerly lay her down.  
“Cas, what the hell is going on?” Dean asked, exasperated.  
“Where did you find this girl? How did she come to be here?” Cas asked quickly, stepping towards the confused brothers.  
“We found this chick on the side of the road, doing her best Linda Blair impersonation,” Dean said, irritated.  
“We don’t know where she’s from, or how she even got here,” Sam jumped in, trying to stop a fight before it started. “Cas, what’s going on? Who is this girl?” Sam asked as the angel glanced at Leah.  
“This woman is not from our version of this world,” Cas replied, turning his attention back to the Winchesters. Dean let out a chuckle at Castiel’s comment, “Are you telling me this chick is actually from an alternate universe?”  
“Yes.” Cas stated simply, as if it wasn’t anything new.  
“That’s amazing! Dean, do you know what this means?” Sam turned to his brother excitedly.  
“No, Sam I have no idea! Why don’t you enlighten me?” Dean replied with feigned excitement. Sam rolled his eyes at his brother’s sarcasm before replying seriously, “It means that there could be a version of us who don’t hunt. There could even be a version were mom and dad are alive.”

The sarcasm and slight annoyance that shaped Dean’s expression fell away s he took in Sam’s words. There could be a universe where they didn’t hunt, a universe where they had normal lives…a universe where their family was alive and happy. Jealousy poked at his heart lightly, as he bitterly asked himself why he was doomed to endure this shithole of a universe. But then a thought occurred to him, a thought that gave him comfort (a feeling which he had almost forgotten). Even if he could never see it, there was a universe out there where his family was normal, there was a place where they were safe.

“It is true that these universes could exist, but our concerns lie with ours and this woman’s reality,” Cas spoke sternly, trying to bring their focus back to the task at hand.  
“Why? We don’t even really exist in her universe. Just put her back and let’s get on with killing the devil,” Dean said nonchalantly.  
“I can’t simply ‘put her back’, Dean. There are an infinite number of realities. Even if I could find hers, I have no way of getting her there,” Cas explained in slight annoyance.  
“You’d also have to pinpoint the time she came from,” Sam spoke up.  
“What do you mean?” Castiel asked.  
“Well, she knew about our plans to kill Lucifer. She also said that Jo and Helen could still be saved, as if she knows something’s going to happen to them,” Sam explained. Cas seemed to ponder this for a moment, quickly glancing back at Leah who still slept peacefully.  
“We need to find out more about her world and what she knows. She could hold information that would help us succeed in killing Lucifer,” Cas turned to walk to the bed where she lay but was stopped by Dean’s firm grip on his shoulder.  
“Are you sure about this, Cas? She could be working _for_ the devil,” Dean warned as his eyes flicked from the angel, to the sleeping girl, and back again. Castiel gave him a simple nod, and Dean let his arm fall to his side. Castiel reached the side of the bed and quietly sat next to Leah. He lightly touched the tips of his index and middle finger to her forehead, but nothing happened. He touched her again, but she still didn’t wake up.  
“Cas, what’s going on?” Sam asked as he approached the bed.  
“I think you might’ve given her a little too much juice,” Dean chuckled as he followed behind Sam.  
“Dean,” Sam sighed in annoyance at his brother’s insensitivity.  
“Dean’s right Sam,” Cas said as he observed Leah’s sleeping face.  
“What?” “I am?” they said.  
“This woman is from a universe without magic,” Castiel said in realization as he stood and turned to face them.  
“What do you mean ‘a universe without magic’? What does magic have to do with anything?” Dean asked.  
“I mean nothing. No being or creature, made of or possessing, supernatural powers. That means no God…” Cas trailed off, slightly saddened by the idea.  
“And no angels,” Sam finished, his voice sympathetic as he saw the troubled look flutter across Castiel’s face.  
“Okay, so there’s nothing supernatural in her world…what does that have to do with her not waking up?” Dean asked.  
“Every creature in our universe has some potential for magic, even if it’s just a small amount. As a result, the creatures of this universe have built up a sort of immunity or resistance to it,” Cas explained.  
“But Leah lives in a world without magic,” Sam repeated Castiel’s worlds as the pieces started to make sense.  
“Exactly, so she has no immunity or even the slightest resistance to it,” Cas said, confirming Sam’s train of thought.  
“So you zap her, with something that would put _us_ out for a couple hours, but for her…”Dean trailed off, fishing for more information.  
“It could last days or even months,” Cas replied. He was concerned for the woman that lay before him. He could have caused her to slip into a deep slumber, from which there was no escape. He also could have caused something far worse that they weren’t aware of yet.  
“Yikes,” Dean deadpanned, not knowing how else to respond.

Suddenly, Leah’s eyes snapped open and she sprang out of bed. “So much for it lasting days or months,” Dean commented with raised eyebrows as he observed Leah.  
“Whoa! Man that was the best sleep I think I’ve ever had! Wow, everything looks really vibrant!” Leah exclaimed, looking around the room in awe.  
“It’s definitely worse,” Castiel sighed to himself.  
“Wow, I feel like I just chugged 10 cans of Red Bull! Why do I feel like I just chugged 10 cans of Red Bull? Do you guys want to go for a run? I really wanna go for a run,” Leah rambled, wringing her hands and fidgeting.  
“I don’t think so, Flash. You’re gunna stay here so we can figure out how to stop your celestial sugar high,” Dean said as he guided Leah back to the bed.  
“…Celestial sugar high? Cas gave me a sugar high?” Leah asked as Dean gently pressed on her shoulder, getting her to sit down.  
“Not intentionally,” Cas commented defensively to everyone in the room.  
“So, Cas…how do we fix _this_ one?” Dean teased.  
“Honestly, I have no idea,” Castiel replied, a bit annoyed at how Dean expected him to know everything. He _was_ only an angel…a fallen angel to be exact, not God himself.  
“What do you mean ‘you have no idea’?” Dean asked as he stepped towards the angel.  
“Her reaction to magic is far too unpredictable. I don’t dare touch her again, who knows what else could happen,” Cas explained, silently pointing out that Leah was now bouncing up and down while she sat on the bed.  
“Good point…” Dean said as he watched Leah. “So what, we just let her run around until it wears off?” Dean asked, turning his attention back to Cas.  
“Seems like it’s our only option,” Sam sighed.  
“Alrighty then…I’ll drive and the Flash can run beside the car,” Dean said with a smile as he pulled his keys out of his pocket.  
“Dean, she’s not a dog!” Sam scolded. “I’ll go for a run with her. That way she can burn some energy…” Sam trailed off as he turned and walked over to his duffle bag. “…and one of us can keep an eye on her,” Sam offered while digging through his clothes.  
“Okay, well you have fun there, Lance Armstrong,” Dean joked as he watched Sam pull out a bundle of dark clothes.  
“Dean, that would be biking,” Sam retorted, placing his duffle back on the floor beside his bed.  
“Oh do we have bikes? Can we go biking?” Leah suddenly asked excitedly, while she continued to bounce on the bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Sam and Leah had been running for the better part of an hour when Leah suddenly stopped, gasping for breath. Leah’s legs buckled and she fell to her hands and knees. Her muscles felt like they had been turned into jello and set on fire.  
“Oh my god!” Leah exclaimed hoarsely as she gulped down air.  
“Has it finally worn off?” Sam panted, stopping beside her.  
“Oh yeah…it’s definitely worn off,” Leah said as she continued to gasp for air. Sam knelt beside her and offered her a bottle of water. Leah raised a shaky arm and took the bottle from Sam. Sam then took hold of Leah’s shoulders and guided her back until she was sitting Indian style.  
“I’m gunna call Dean to come and get us,” Sam said before standing and reaching into his pocket. Leah reached out and grabbed Sam’s pant-leg before he could press the call button.  
“I’m ok Sam…I can walk back,” Leah told him, her breathing finally slowing.  
“Are you sure?” Sam asked with concern as he lowered the phone.  
“I’m sure…just give me a minute to rest,” Leah reassured him before taking a sip of water. Sam nodded his head and placed his phone back in his pocket, before lowering himself to sit next to Leah.

They sat in silence for a minute or two before Sam broke the silence, “Leah, can I ask you something?”  
“You just did,” she replied with a grin. Sam let out a breath of laughter and shook his head. Leah also let out a soft laugh before saying, “Yeah, go ahead.”  
“Before…when Dean freaked out…something happened to you.” Sam looked over Leah’s face, trying to gage her reaction. Leah’s smile fell and her eyes glinted with recognition.  
“You were surprised when Dean jumped you, but then you got this far away look in your eye,” Sam described, and Leah responded with a sigh.  
“That…that is a little difficult to explain,” Leah said as she searched her mind for the most accurate way to describe what happened. Sam simply waited patiently for Leah to begin, sensing that it was a difficult subject for her.  
“The best way I can describe it is…It was like…” Leah struggled to put her experience into words, until a thought hit her.  
“Ok…You know when you can visualize a memory in your mind?” Leah asked, to which Sam nodded.  
“And you know how really vivid memories come with more than just a picture in your head…like a smell or a sound,” Leah continued, watching Sam as he seemed to fish through his own memories for one that fit her description.  
“Yeah, you get a whiff of the person or place like you’re actually there,” Sam explained, confirming that he understood.  
“Yes, exactly…Now take that feeling of recalling a vivid memory, turn it into a really bad memory, and times it by ten,” Leah said with a nervous laugh. “It’s like the memory just invades your mind and tries to make itself real…Like it’s trying to force you to relive it,” she explained solemnly.  
“Leah, that sounds like a PTSD flashback,” Sam said, worry and sympathy plastered on his face.  
“Yeah, it does…though I’ve never actually been diagnosed,” Leah told Sam nonchalantly before standing up.  
“I think I’m good to walk now, you wanna head back?” Leah asked casually, as if their previous conversation never happened. Sam, still sitting on the ground, chuckled and sighed.  
“What?” Leah asked with a smile pulling at her lips as Sam continued to chuckle to himself. He lifted himself off the ground and stood beside her before saying, “It’s just that Dean does the same exact thing. Now I can kinda see why you relate to him the most.”  
“What ‘exact same thing’? And when did I tell you that I relate to him the most?” Leah asked her genuine curiosity turning into embarrassment. Sam chuckled again at Leah’s horrified expression before replying, “You told me during your sugar high, among other interesting things. You don’t remember?”  
“If I’m being honest, it’s all a bit of a blur…Wait, what other things?” Leah demanded, the horror returning to her face, which only made Sam laugh more.  
“Come on, let’s head back,” Sam said with a smile as he started walking.  
“Sam! What other things?” Leah called as she hurried her pace to catch up with his long strides.

Leah and Sam returned to the motel just as Dean was leaving to get dinner.  
“Hey, it’s Lance and the Flash!” Dean greeted with a chuckle. Both Sam and Leah rolled their eyes as they approached Dean and the Impala.  
“So, has it worn off? Or do we have to buy a hamster wheel,” Dean said with a grin.  
“It’s definitely worn off…Now if you’ll both excuse me; I’m going to go die,” Leah said with an exhausted sigh, before walking past them to their motel room.  
“Uhh, you’ll have to save the dying for later. There are some questions you need to answer,” Dean informed her as she walked past him. Leah stopped and turned to face him.  
“Fair enough, but can I at least get cleaned up and eat first?” she asked with another sigh.  
“Yeah sure, I’m going to grab us some grub right now,” Dean said as he opened the door to the Impala. Leah gave a grateful nod, then turned and continued towards the motel room door.

Once Leah entered and shut the door behind her, Dean turned to Sam with an expectant look.  
“So?” Dean asked expectantly.  
“So what?” Sam replied as he too made his way to their room.  
“Did you get anything out of her while you were out being Lance Armstrong?”  
“Biking,” Sam corrected.  
“What?” Dean asked confused.  
“Never mind…and no I didn’t ‘get anything out of her’, at least not what you’d expect.”  
“What’s that supposed to mean?”  
Sam paused for a moment and contemplated whether he should tell his brother or not. With a heavy sigh, Sam told Dean, “I think Leah has PTSD.”  
“Post-traumatic stress,” Dean said in disbelief, to which Sam nodded.  
“Did she say from what?” Dean asked solemnly.  
“No, but I’m guessing someone abused her, because it was triggered when you pinned her against the wall,” Sam explained, his eyes showing sadness and sympathy, while his voice showed agitation and disgust towards whoever had done this to Leah. Dean sighed and rubbed his forehead in shame.  
“Shit,” Dean swore under his breath.  
“Don’t beat yourself up man, you didn’t know,” Sam spoke softly, trying to reassure his brother.

 

* * *

 

Leah stepped inside the motel room and shut the door behind her, leaning against it for a moment. She then heard a flutter of wings and felt a gust of wind. Leah lifted her head from the door and wasn’t surprised in the least to see Castiel standing there awkwardly. Leah smiled at him and pushed herself away from the door.  
“You were always one of my favorite characters,” Leah told him, with a wide, content smile.  
“Why is that?” he asked with genuine curiosity.  
“…Lots of reasons. Sam and Dean teaching you about humans and free will, is simultaneously hilarious and beautiful,” Leah told Cas with a proud smile. Castiel’s eyes shone with amusement as he opened his mouth to speak, the corner of his mouth turning up ever so slightly.  
“Yes, Dean is often amused by my confusion when it comes to humans,” Cas agreed with his typical deadpan tone. Leah giggled as she began to walk past the angel to the bathroom.  
“Hey Cas…” Leah called softly, standing in the bathroom’s door way.  
“Yes Leah?” he replied, turning to face her.  
“Just so you know…Sam and Dean love you like a brother. If you ever need help or advice, it won’t matter what’s going on or where they are, they’ll come. They’ll always be there for you, just like you’re always there for them.”  
Castiel pondered her words for a moment before replying, “Thank you, Leah. I will try to remember that.”  
“Good,” she said with a smile, and then closed the bathroom door.

About thirty minutes later, Leah stepped out of the bathroom, her hair still wrapped in a towel. Dean smirked. “Nice hat,” he commented as she walked towards the beds, where all three of them sat.  
“Thanks, I made it myself,” Leah said as she sat on one of the chairs they’d brought over from the kitchen. Sam grinned at Leah’s unfazed retort while he handed her the bag of food Dean had brought back. She quickly dug through the bag and pulled out a paper-wrapped hamburger and a cup of fries.  
“So, McFly, you ready to tell us what’s gunna happen?” Dean asked before popping a fry into his mouth. Leah rolled her eyes at his new nickname for her.  
“Ya I guess…But you’re not going to like it,” Leah warned before swallowing the bite of burger she’d just finished chewing.  
“Be that as it may, we still need to know,” Dean replied, not surprised in the least that he wasn’t going to like what she had to tell them.  
“Ok then…For starters, the colt is useless against the devil,” Leah began, observing their disappointed and frustrated expressions.  
“What a surprise…” Dean commented bitterly.  
“Are you sure?” Sam asked, a bit hopeful she’d say ‘no’.  
“Pretty sure…Dean shoots him in the head with the colt but he gets back up. Then he says, and I quote, ‘There’s only five things in all of creation that that gun can’t kill, and I just happen to be one of them’,” Leah finished with a forced smile. Both brothers look to Castiel, who was looking quite convinced.  
“It does sound very likely,” Cas told them with equal disappointment.  
“Ellen and Jo also die,” Leah added sadly.  
“Well there goes that plan…anyone else got any bright ideas?”Dean asked, frustration building in his voice.  
“Actually…I kinda have one,” Leah offered cautiously.  
“What is it?” Sam asked hopefully.  
“You’re not going to like it either,” Leah told them sympathetically as she prepared to tell them about the rings. Sam, Dean, and Cas braced themselves for what Leah was about to say. Each of them knew it wasn’t going to be good. After all, it never is with them. But Leah was determined to find a way to save everyone, including Sam. At this point, she no longer cared if this was real or not, because she had a chance to make a difference this time.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter** 5

Sam, Dean, and Castiel were quiet during Leah’s explanation of the rings and the cage. So quiet, that it made Leah a bit nervous. She wasn’t sure how they would react to this information at this point in the season. They were pretty desperate for any alternative to saying ‘yes’ when Gabriel told them. At this point they still had hope, and their relationship as brothers had started to mend. When Leah finished, her stomach tightened nervously as she observed each of their faces. Dean, who sat on the bed, with his elbows resting upon his knees, straightened and let out a puff of air. Sam also shifted in his seat, his movements similar to his brother’s. Dean stared at Leah, searching her eyes for deception before turning his attention to Castiel.

“Cas, what do you think?” Dean asked the angel. Leah felt a slight twinge of disappointment pull at her heart. He still didn’t trust her. Not that she could (or would) blame him. Leah just sometimes forgot that they didn’t know her like she knew them.  
“This could be possible,” Castiel said hopefully, agreeing with the plan Leah had offered to them.  
“Well alright…we’ve got one ring, just three more to go,” Dean replied with a nod.  
“Oh is that all?” Sam replied sarcastically.  
“Sam, it’s a plan…If future girl here is right, we can shove the devil back in the box and stop all of this,” Dean argued.  
“I know…I’m just saying it won’t be easy,” Sam replied.  
“Yeah, well nothing ever is with us. But with Bud Parker’s insight, we’ll at least have some warning,” Dean reassured Sam, his gaze flicking from his brother to Leah. Hearing Dean’s new name for her, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion trying to figure out the reference.  
‘ _Oh, Pleasantville!_ ’ she thought in realization. ‘ _…At least it’s more accurate than McFly_.’  
“Speaking of insight, I recommend we get a move on and go steal the colt from Crowley,” Leah reminded them.  
To tell the truth, Leah was at a bit of a loss when it came to what she should and shouldn’t tell them. She’d watched enough sci-fi movies to know that changing too much could mess things up. So she decided to try and keep everything the same except how they dealt with Lucifer.  
“I agree, the colt should not be left in the hands of a demon,” Cas said.    
“Then let’s pack up and hit the road,” Dean said as he lifted himself off the bed.

As Sam and Dean started packing, Leah began to feel a familiar irritating sensation in her upper arms. It was a combination of picking and twitching that felt like it was just under her skin. It was the sensation that signaled the beginning of withdrawals. Leah stood from the chair she sat in and made her way to the front door. As she walked past Castiel, he gave a questioning look.  
“I’m going to get some fresh air,” she told him with a forced smile. The angel nodded in acknowledgement. Leah opened the door and stepped outside into the fresh evening air, taking a deep breath in as she shut the door behind her. She leaned against the wall beside the motel room door, her palms pressed against her face.  
“Please not now,” Leah whispered before combing her fingers into her hair, holding her brown locks away from her face. ‘ _What the hell am I gunna do?_ ’ Leah thought nervously before releasing the strands she held between her fingers. She searched her mind for the best way to deal with this, while massaging one arm and then the other. The firm drumming of her finger tips helped to lessen the sensation in her arms, but not for very long. Leah knew, a few hours from now, everything above her elbows will ache and her irritability will be turned up to about a five out of ten. Leah knew that eventually she wouldn’t be able to hide her symptoms and she was dreading having to explain everything to them.  
Unless she could get her hands on some weed, ‘ _That would take the edge off…_ ’she thought hopefully. As Leah started to form a plan for procuring some marijuana, the motel room door opened, making her jump in surprise.    
“Leah?” Cas called softly.    
“Right here, Cas,” she replied walking towards him.  
“I was told to retrieve you, we are leaving soon,” he told her as she stepped into the light that spilled out of the motel room.  
“Well I’m ready whenever you guys are,” she told them, peaking her head around the door frame.

Cas and Leah stepped away from the door as Sam and Dean walked towards it, bags in hand. Sam headed to the main office to check them out, while Dean went over to the Impala to pack up. Cas and Leah followed Dean to the car, and for a few minutes she forgot about her withdrawals. A bright smile spread across her face and her heart pounded in excitement as she reached for the door handle. ‘ _I get to ride in the Impala! Holly shit, I get to ride in the Impala!’_ her thoughts screamed in excitement. She pulled open the door behind the driver’s seat and quietly sighed in satisfaction when she heard that signature squeak.  
“What are you smiling about?” Dean asked before closing the trunk. Leah jumped at the sound of his voice before clearing her throat.  
“Nothing…” she told him, forcing the smile from her face as embracement took over. Leah then joined Castiel in the back seat, mentally slapping herself for acting like such a weirdo. Sam and Dean soon joined them in the car, and they were off.  
  


* * *

 

They had been driving for almost two hours and Leah was starting to get antsy. Her head was starting to ache and the irritating sensation in her arms had gotten significantly worse. She was starting to feel desperation for the drugs that her body was craving. She needed to distract herself, at the very least calm down a bit. If only she was holding on to her purse when she got zapped here, then she’d b able to tapper herself off. At the very least she could listen to her IPod, Pink Floyd always helped calm her down.  
‘ _Wait, I’m in the Impala with Dean Winchester…_ ’ she thought to herself, rolling her eyes at her own stupidity.  
“Hey Dean…” she called softly.  
“You should’ve gone at the last pit stop,” Dean told her, his voice flat.  
“I was going to ask if you could play some Pink Floyd. Preferably ‘On the Turning Away’ if you have it,” she replied, getting annoyed at the constant nicknames. It’s not that she minded nicknames, it’s just that he hadn’t used her name once and it seemed like he was doing his best to never use it.  
“You know ‘On the Turning Away’?” Dean asked in mild surprise.  
“Ya I know it…Why do you ask?” Leah replied, a slight snap in her voice. She could feel her irritability rising and she did her best to push it down.  
“I just didn’t expect a kid your age to even know who Pink Floyd is, other than ‘those dudes who do that brick in the wall song’,” Dean explained, mimicking an ignorant teenager. How old did he think she was? Fourteen?  
“Yeah, well I’m not your average ‘kid’,” she replied, trying hard to bite her tongue and not let her anger boil over. Sam reached under his legs and pulled out, what looked like, a plastic tool case. Apparently, Sam had tossed out the old beat up cardboard box and organized the tapes.  
He found it quickly and popped it in, the southing sound of David Gilmour’s voice filling Leah’s ears. She sighed and snuggled into the car seat, crossing her arms over her body tightly. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. If she ended up going cold turkey it would be the last bit of sleep she would get for a while.

Leah was only able to sleep for about an hour before she was woken up by Sam gently nudging her knee. She squinted at Sam for a moment, before unfolding her arms and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.   
“Where are we?” she asked groggily.  
“We’re at Bobby’s,” Sam told her. Leah straightened in her seat and turned her head to look out the window. There stood Bobby’s house, soft yellow light shinning out of the odd window. Leah smiled to herself as she opened the door and scooted out of the car. Sam walked around the car to where Leah stood, stretching her tired muscles.  
“You, Cas, Ellen, and Bobby are going to stay here while Dean, Jo, and I go get the colt. When we get back we’ll all sit down and figure out a plan for the rings and the cage,” Sam explained, leading Leah inside.  
“Sounds good to me,” Leah replied with a yawn.

They entered Bobby’s house and found everyone standing around in the library, except for Ellen who was walking over from the kitchen with a beer in her hand. Leah walked behind Sam, her nervousness twisting her stomach. Ellen handed the beer in her hand to Bobby when the floor creaked under Sam’s weight, causing everyone to look their way. Leah felt her heart suddenly pick up its pace as everyone’s eyes focused on her.  
“Bobby, Jo, Ellen…This is Leah,” Sam introduced her as he stepped to the side, preventing her from continuing to hide behind him.  
“Hello,” she said with a smile and a timid wave. The first to approach Leah was Ellen, who extended her hand. Leah reached out to shake Ellen’s hand, quickly reminding herself to do so firmly and not like a nervous child.  
“Nice to meet you Leah,” Ellen greeted, her face somewhat stern while her eyes were soft and kind.  
“Well, it’s both awesome and a bit weird to meet you,” Leah replied with a nervous laugh. Her and Ellen released each other’s hand and Leah could hear Sam chuckle behind her. Leah felt her nervousness subside slightly when she saw Ellen smile at her comment as well.  
“Well I can tell ya it’s just as weird for us, knowing there’s a universe where our lives are part of a TV show,” Bobby spoke up as he wheeled himself out from behind his desk.

Leah desperately wanted to tell them how cool she thought they were, but she was too afraid of creeping them out. And she definitely didn’t want to give Dean another reason to think she was just like Becky. So instead, she greeted them as she would any other person and kept the geeking-out on the inside.


End file.
